9 th RECONNAISSANCE WING

Transcription

1 9 th RECONNAISSANCE WING LINEAGE 9 th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, established, 25 Apr 1949 Activated, 1 May 1949 Redesignated 9 th Bombardment Wing, Heavy, 1 Apr 1950 Redesignated 9 th Bombardment Wing, Medium, 2 Oct 1950 Redesignated 9 th Strategic Aerospace Wing, 1 Apr 1962 Redesignated 9 th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, 25 Jun 1966 Redesignated 9 th Wing, 1 Sep 1991 Redesignated 9 th Reconnaissance Wing, 1 Oct 1993 STATIONS Fairfield-Suisun (later, Travis) AFB, CA, 1 May 1949 Mountain Home AFB, ID, 1 May 1953 Beale AFB, CA, 25 Jun 1966 ASSIGNMENTS 311 th Air Division, 1 May 1949 Second Air Force, 1 Nov 1949 Fifteenth Air Force, 1 Apr th Air Division, 10 Feb 1951 Fifteenth Air Force, 1 May th Air (later, 813 th Strategic Aerospace) Division, 15 Jul th Strategic Aerospace (later, 14 th Air) Division, 25 Jun 1966 Second Air Force, 1 Sep 1991 Twelfth Air Force, 1 Jul 1993

2 Eighth Air Force, 1 Oct 2002 ATTACHMENTS 7 th Air Division, 23 May-11 Jul rd Air Division, 3-22 Oct 1955 and 1 Oct 1957-c. 10 Jan 1958 WEAPON SYSTEMS B/RB-17, B-29, RB-29, RB-36, , 1951 KB-29, 1953 B-47, KC-97, Titan, EB-47, T-38, 1969 SR-71, U-2, 1976 TR-1, KC-135, SR-71, RQ-4, 2002 COMMANDERS Col Raymond L. Winn, 1 May 1949 BG Robert F. Travis, 16 Jun 1949 Col Carlos J. Cochrane, 6 Aug 1950 Col Joe W. Kelly, 10 Aug 1950 Col Clifford J. Heflin, 10 Feb 1951 BG William C. Kingsbury, 5 Jan 1953 Col Robert V. De Shazo, 27 Jul 1957 Col Rufus H. Holloway, 15 Jul 1959 Col Walter Y. Lucas, 7 Jun 1960 Col William L. Gray, 5 Jul 1962 Col William R. Smith, 2 Apr 1964 Col Walter Y. Lucas, 10 Jun 1965 Maj Adelbert J. Lemke, c. May 1966 Col Douglas T. Nelson, 25 Jun 1966 Col William R. Hayes, 14 Dec 1966 Col Charles F. Minter, Sr., 27 Jun 1969 Col Harold E. Confer, 1 Jul 1970 Col Jerome F. O'Malley, 31 May 1972 Col Patrick J. Halloran, 10 May 1973 Col John H. Storrie, 30 Jun 1975 Col Lyman M. Kidder, 30 Sep 1977

3 Col Franklin D. Shelton, 1 Feb 1979 Col David G. Young, c. 17 Jul 1980 Col Thomas S. Pugh, 20 Jul 1982 Col George V. Freese, 4 Aug 1983 Col David H. Pinsky, 28 Jan 1985 Col Richard H. Graham, 17 Jul 1987 Col James S. Savarda, 6 Dec 1988 Col Thomas J. Keck, 12 Jun 1990 Col Richard A. Young, 21 Nov 1991 Col Larry W. Tieman, 28 Jun 1993 BG John W. Rutledge, 15 Jul 1994 BG Robert H. Behler, 22 Sep 1995 BG Charles N. Simpson, 18 Apr 1997 BG Kevin P. Chilton, 2 Jun 1999 BG Stanley Gorenc, 15 Sep 2000 BG Thomas B. Wright, 21 Mar 2003 Brig Gen Lawrence L. Wells, 6 Aug 2004 Brig Gen Harry D. Polumbo Jr., 15 May 2006 Brig Gen Robert P. Otto, 2 Jun 2008 HONORS Service Streamers None Campaign Streamers Southwest Asia Defense of Saudi Arabia Liberation and Defense of Kuwait Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers Grenada, 1983 Decorations Presidential Unit Citation 31 Mar-31 Dec 1968 Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device 1 Jul Jun 1973 Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards 1 Jan Jan Jul Jun Jul Jun Jul Jun Jul Jun Jul Jun 1977

4 1 Jul Jun Jul Jun Jul Jun Jul Jun Jul Jun Jul Jun Jul Jun Jun May Jun May Jun May Jun May Jun May Jun May 2009 Bestowed Honors Authorized to display honors earned by the 9 th Operations Group prior to 1 May 1949 Service Streamers None Campaign Streamers World War II Antisubmarine, American Theater Eastern Mandates Western Pacific Air Offensive, Japan Decorations Distinguished Unit Citations Kawasaki, Japan, 15/16 Apr 1945 Japan, May 1945 EMBLEM Per pale vert and sable a pallet wavy argent fimbriated, Or, over all on a fess of four crosses patee of the second (sable). The shield, in black and green, represents the old colors of the Air Service parted by a wavy line representing the Rio Grande River. On the gold band are four black crosses representing four WW I offensives, Aisne-Marne, Champagne-Marne, Meusse- Argonne, and St. Mihiel, in which squadrons later assigned to the 9th Wing fought. The crest recalls the service in Mexico. (Approved for 9th Group on 20 Mar 1924 and for 9th Wing on 1 Jul 1952) MOTTO SEMPER PARATUS Always ready NICKNAME

5 OPERATIONS Conducted strategic reconnaissance with assigned components, May Mar 1950, and with components of 5 Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Nov 1949-Feb Conducted strategic bombardment training, Feb 1951-Dec Performed air refueling, May-Jul 1953, Sep Dec 1965, and Mar 1983-Oct Conducted Strategic Air Command (SAC) airborne communications relay missions, Dec Mar Deployed at Fairford RAF Station, England, May-Jul 1955, at Kadena AB, Okinawa, 3-22 Oct 1955, at Eielson AFB, AK, Jan 1956, and at Andersen AFB, Guam, Oct Jan Controlled a Titan missile complex, Jun 1961-Jun Phased down operations at Mountain Home AFB, ID, Jan-Jun 1966, then moved to Beale AFB, CA. Equipped with the SR-71 aircraft in 1966; performed strategic reconnaissance in Southeast Asia beginning in 1968; provided photographic intelligence for the Son Tay prison camp raid in North Vietnam, Nov Conducted humanitarian and scientific missions for Department of Defense and other government agencies when requested. Added U-2 & U-2R aircraft in 1976 and specialized KC- 135Q tankers in 1983 to become the only USAF wing so equipped. Participated in USAF operations worldwide, including Grenada, Oct-Nov 1983, and Libya, Apr Following the 1990 retirement of SR-71 aircraft, U-2 aircraft flew intelligence-gathering missions, Aug Mar 1991, in Southwest Asia, particularly during the Gulf War buildup and subsequent combat operations. Continued to provide worldwide reconnaissance as directed. In 1993, lost its air refueling capacity and specialized in global high altitude manned surveillance and reconnaissance missions for the National Command Authorities, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and theater commanders. While flying U-2s as its primary aircraft, it also flew SR-71s from 1995 to Although the wing headquarters remained at Beale AFB, California, it also operated components at several locations around the world. After the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, wing elements took part in reconnaissance missions in support of U.S. military efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq, flying both the manned U-2 and the new unmanned RQ- 4 Global Hawk aircraft. As the Air Force's only U-2 training center, provided initial, requalification and proficiency training for all U-2 pilots and mission planners and all RQ-4 crewmembers, th RW, Detachment 1 was activated at Kadena, Okinawa, Japan on 9 August 1974 (replacing OL-KA) and was inactivated in DET 1 3+ ICHI BAN-- Number One) Glowing Heat deployments to Kadena, Okinawa were first undertaken in March 1968, and for a while the SR-71 crews were co-based with their 'grey-suit' colleagues from 'the Agency'. The SR-71 detachment was known as OL (Operating Location) -8, and was declared operationally ready with three aircraft on 15 March It flew its first combat mission on 21 March In early 1970, as the need for reconnaissance grew, the detachment was enlarged to four aircraft.

6 On 30 October 1970 it was redesignated OL-RK (for Ryukyus, the island chain in which Okinawa was situated) and on 26 October 1971 became OL-KA (for Kadena). A high level of activity was maintained through the last months of the war in Southeast Asia, although with the end of the war the detachment was reduced in size to two aircraft. On 1 August 1974 OL-KA was redesignated as Detachment 1 of the 9th SRW. Reconnaissance missions in the post-war years were aimed at the Soviet Far East, China, North Korea and Vietnam, although Det 1 was tasked with flights over the Persian Gulf during the Iran/Iraq war. All operations ceased on 22 November 1989 and the two aircraft were returned to Beale. 9th RW, Detachment 2 was activated at Osan AB on 1 July 1976 (replacing OL-OA, 9 SRW) and was redesignated Detachment 2, 9th Wing on 19 September The "Blackcat" nickname was started by Detachment H, Central Intelligence Agency activated in Taiwan from Detachment H flyers would frequent an establishment called the "Blackcat" in a nearby town. The name "Blackcat" soon became synonymous with the members of the U-2 Detachment. Lieutenant Colonel David G. Young established the "Blackcat" as OL-OA's nickname in The nickname transferred to Detachment 2 and is now used by the 5th Reconnaissance Squadron at Osan. Detachment 4 of the 9th SRW was established in April 1979 with a single U-2R employed in Europe on Senior Ruby Elint missions, and continued to support the periodic SR-71 visits. The English government stipulated that the early deployments should be no longer than 20 days and required UK permission for each sortie. The deployments gradually became more frequent and the aircraft stayed longer. In March 1979 Mildenhall was the operating location for a Yemen reconnaissance flight. In 1981 Mildenhall was used for monitoring the situation in Poland. By late 1982 the demands in Europe resulted in a second aircraft arriving at Mildenhall, while in July 1983 the base played host to the first operational test of an ASARS-equipped aircraft. By this time Det 4 had ceased U-2R operations, which had been transferred to the newly-established 17th Reconnaissance Wing with TR-1s at Alconbury. Finally, on 5 April 1984, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher announced that Det 4 would be a permanent SR-71 detachment with two aircraft, with some UK control remaining for the more sensitive sorties. The two-aircraft detachment ceased operations on 22 November 1989, and the last aircraft left for Beale on 18 January th Wing, Detachment 4 was activated at Howard AFB, Panama in 1991 and was inactivated in SERPIENTES DEL SOL (Translation= Serpents Of The Sun) Operating Location OLYMPIC FLAME (OL-OF) was activated at Patrick AFB, Florida on 29 January 1982 and inactivated 1 January 1983 (replaced by Detachment 5, 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing). OL-UK moved from RAF Alconbury, United Kingdom to RAF Fairford, United Kingdom on 15 March From 2-4 January 1996, OL-UK's U-2s were moved to Istres AB, France and the unit was inactivated. Det 2, Song Tansi, South Korea

7 Det 3, Hellenikon, Greece Det 4, RAF Mildenhall, England Det 5, Patrick AFB, FL Air Force Order of Battle Created: 13 Nov 2010 Updated: 9 Mar 2014 Sources Air Force Historical Research Agency. U.S. Air Force. Maxwell AFB, AL. The Institute of Heraldry. U.S. Army. Fort Belvoir, VA. Air Force News. Air Force Public Affairs Agency.